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One killed and three injured at Texas chemical plant

18 January 2016

On January 16 an explosion in a tank holding an oil-based cleaning solution at the PeroxyChem plant in the Bayport complex, Pasadena, killed one worker and injured three others, according to the local police department. One of the injured suffered a broken arm and the two others were exposed to the chemical and all three were taken to hospital.

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According to police, the leak of about 1,000 gallons of the chemical did not extend beyond the plant’s perimeter, located about 30 miles southeast of downtown Houston. The Pasadena Fire Marshal's Office said the explosion was caused by an over-pressurised tank.

In a statement, a PeroxyChem spokeswoman said a contractor and two PeroxyChem employees had been taken to the hospital needing medical attention. The fourth victim, a contractor, was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Plant employees and contractors were conducting a routine function when the contractor's equipment exploded," spokeswoman Natalie Kay said in an email. "The site's emergency response plan was implemented. The emergency situation is contained. Current activities are focused on ensuring the safe and secure state of the plant and its employees."

According to PeroxyChem's webpage, the company employs approximately 550 people and manufactures hydrogen peroxide, calcium peroxide, persulfates and peracetic acid and other products for electronics, energy, environmental, food safety, pulp, paper, polymer, and other industrial and consumer markets.

The facility was last inspected by the US Environmental Protection Agency in December, 2014, and is currently in compliance with the Clean Air Act.